Philly Park Horse Tested for Equine Herpesvirus

Philadelphia Park officials were cautiously optimistic a horse from the barn of Ramon Martin does not have equine herpesvirus despite having been exposed to the virus at an equine clinic in New Jersey.

"The horse isn't exhibiting any signs that it may have EHV-1, but a nasal swab and blood samples were taken (Nov. 2) to make sure," Philly Park director of racing Sal Sinatra said. "In the meantime, we've extended our quarantine for an additional 21 days."

If no horses test positive for EHV-1, the restrictions on horses shipping to the Philly Park backstretch will be lifted Nov. 23. The isn't accepting shippers because of an EHV-I case at Monmouth.

Sinatra said the horse in question was at the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in Ringoes, N.J., where it was exposed to the EHV-1 virus.

Dr. Peter Bousum, a veterinarian at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, said there is one barn that is quarantined after a horse shipped from Monmouth Park for emergency colic surgery Oct. 21. That horse came from the same barn at Monmouth in which four horses tested positive for the virus, but it did not exhibit any symptoms while at the clinic, and at the time it arrived no one was aware that it had been exposed to EHV-1.

"We have isolated horses that were in the same barn, and have been spraying and disinfecting," Bousum said. "The state department of agriculture has allowed to us to continue to operate, and at the present time patients can come and go. The good news is that all the horses in that barn have showed no symptoms."

Bousum said the Philly Park-based horse was only at the clinic for one day, and was not within 500 feet of the Monmouth horse. He said he is unsure of the amount of time the barn at the clinic will continue to be isolated.